Keeping her competitive edge

Thursday

When Jacqui Bryan was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 20, her husband Mike wanted to call off the race they had been planning since May, but she refused.

"He said, ?I'll just drop this race thing,?" recalls Jacqui, 38. "But I said no, this cancer is not going to steal my life away."

At 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 20, it is hoped the Bryans? months of hard work and planning will pay off at the start of the first New Hampshire Seacoast Run Pedal Paddle, which consists of a six-mile run, a 20-mile bike ride and a five-mile kayak around New Castle Island and out to the Piscataqua River - a marriage of the couple's three favorite courses.

"We've always run the same 10K loop and kayaked the same course around the island," said Jacqui. "When we thought to combine the three loops into a race, people said ?Wow, what a great idea.?"

The day-long event also includes children's activities including a sandcastle building contest, a scavenger hunt and two games from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., as well as an after-party at the Wentworth Marina, complete with a buffet catered by Cheffy's Restaurant, a raffle, awards and music provided by Even Steven, a local soft-rock cover band. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Community Child Care Center and children's programs at the New Heights youth center in Portsmouth. A rain date has been set for Sunday, Sept. 28.

"This year is like a trial run," said Mike. "We have around 50 participants registered and we expect to have 75 people come race day. If there are over 200, I'll be sweating it."

Participants can either register as individuals, for a fee of $60 or as a team for a fee of $60 per person, at www.nhsrpp.org. Entries received after Sept. 15 will be charged a $15 late fee. The Bryans hope to raise $3,000 to $4,000 for the children's centers and have some fun in the process.

"We really want to stress the fun aspect," said Mike. "There is a whole ?fun? category where people aren't being judged on time, but on costume and entertainment. Someone could dress up like Santa Claus and sing Christmas carols on the sidelines if they wanted, just as long as they don't get in the runners? way. Or they could just come dressed up in costume and stand on the starting line, cheering people on."

And it is to be hoped, both husband and wife will be on that line at New Castle's Great Island Common with the other competitors. Mike, who Jacqui describes as "so old" at the age of 40, plans to compete as an individual if all goes smoothly. And Jacqui, with four surgeries and a bilateral mastectomy after the initial race planning began, has put together a team consisting of herself and two breast cancer survivors.

"Some see getting cancer as a gift because you get to meet such incredible people," Jacqui said of her teammates, both of whom were diagnosed a few years ago and will be doing the running and biking.

"My wife is doing the kayaking leg of the race," said Mike. "The doctor advised her not to, but she's so competitive."

"I've never been one to crawl into a hole," says Jacqui. "I'm going to face this thing head on."

In general, Jacqui resents the intrusion the cancer has caused in her life and that of her husband and two children, Kasey, 10, and Michael Jr., 18 months.

"I had no family history of cancer, no risk factors, I had always eaten healthy," said Jacqui, who is a nurse. "I was doing regular breast exams on myself because a friend of mine had cancer. Luckily, I caught it, and I caught it early." Luckily as well, she has a very good prognosis, though recent chemotherapy has landed her sick in the hospital, and her doctors predict she will be done with the treatments by March.

As for the race, the Bryans have two goals for the future: that in three years from now, 600 people will be registered come race day, and that next year, Jacqui will compete in the event as an individual, doing the running, biking and kayaking herself.

"I've always been a competitive athlete," says Jacqui. "I told Mike this (cancer) is just another event. It's really hard, but I'm going to win."

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